Dead Lotus
by Open Casket Ceremony
Summary: Although he loved Horohoro, Ren's father forced him into an arranged marriage as a bride. His life spirals slowly downwards, and Horohoro is left to cure this lotus's dying heart before it is destroyed for good.
1. Shock

Disclaimer: Don't own, never will...blah blah blah...

* * *

It had been a while since Ren had returned home to China. He still kept in touch with Yoh and them through the oracle bells, and most of all, he was still close with Horohoro. They had been a pair, a couple, a duo for a while as well. 

He had been home for three days already. He was surprised at how much he missed the place. Jun had seen to it that the floors and walkways were entirely devoid of any signs of blood or rotting corpses in anticipation of Ren's return, but he knew it would always be the same old slaughterhouse.

He hadn't spoken to his father or mother at all this whole time. But he would soon be forced to do so.

"Ren?" Jun opened the door to her younger brother's bedroom a small crack, peeking in.

Ren had been looking at a photograph of himself and Horohoro in America. He couldn't help it. He loved Horohoro, and Horohoro loved him.

The Chinese shaman hastily shoved the photograph under his pillow and out of sight before regaining his composure. "Yes, Jun?" he said quickly, looking up.

"Father and Mother wish to speak to you," she said softly. "It's about...your future."

Ren swallowed. He didn't want to have to even look at his father, the wicked old man, ever again. But he couldn't refuse such a command, so he slowly rose to his feet and made his way down the hall towards his parents' chambers, following Jun.

He pushed the heavy door open, keeping his gaze downcast, as was proper conduct around his superiors.

"Good morning...Mother. Father," he whispered, bowing to his parents. "What do you want with me?"

Ren glanced to his left. There was a rather fat man with long whiskers equally long eyebrows. he had a disgusting, wobbling gut with cloud-like markings painted on the mass of fatty flesh. A chill went up his spin. He recognized the man as Zan Ching, one of Hao's followers.

"Ren," his father, the infamous En Tao (Yuan in the manga) boomed. Ren flinched, hating to hear the terrible voice that haunted his childhood days once again.

"Yes?" he muttered. "What is it, Father?"

En looked down at his son from his massive height. "I've arranged a marriage for you."

Ren's blood ran cold. "Wh-what?" he stammered, looking up at his father in shock.

En ignored his son and continued to speak. "This man here is named Zan Ching. He is a respectable shaman, and he is quite wealthy. To top it off...he is...erm..._homosexual_...and he thought it a great honor to marry into the Tao...so naturally, Ren, you are up for the job."

Ren's eyes widened. _This_ hideous lump of blubber? Ren despised him, and besides, he already loved Horohoro. Of course he couldn't tell his father that, so he attempted to get out of it with words.

"Father," he protested, choosing his words carefully. "I...I can't possibly...I'm too young...and he's too old...look at him, Father. He's more than twice my age, and...and..."

"Enough," En commanded, silencing his only son. "I know what you're thinking. I've been watching you throughout the Shaman Fight, and I can see that you've been getting awful friendly with that Usui boy. He's an Ainu. Ainu and Chinese don't mix, my boy. Forget about him. Besides, Zan Ching has promised to pay us a handsome sum for you."

_"What?"_ Ren yelped. "_Pay!?_ Father, you're just selling me, aren't you? you don't care about me at all, all you want is his money! I won't marry him! I won't! I'd rather die!"

Zan Ching stepped forward, suddenly reaching out and swiftly slapping Ren across the face. Jun gasped, and Ren's mother, Ran, narrowed her eyes. En, on the other hand, seemed indifferent.

"Shut up, kid," he grunted, "And do what your daddy tells you."

Ren's eyes were wide with shock at the man's sudden movement. He raised his hand to his cheek, gingerly touching his cheek, which felt as if it were on fire.

"Ren!" Jun screamed, running towards him. "Ren! Are you alright?"

"Don't move, Jun," commanded En. "This is for Ren's own good. He needs to learn to respect his..._fiance_."

"But, Father-"

"That's enough. Ren, you'll be married a week from now whether you like it or not."


	2. Concealed Tears

"I'm sorry, _Lian_," Ren's mother, Ran, whispered to her son, addressing him by his Chinese name as she prepared him for the wedding that was scheduled for later that day. "I didn't want you to mary that despicable man, either, but I have no power over anything, you know that well."

"I know," Ren answered softly as his mother gently placed various ornaments in his deeply colored purple-black hair. He felt so humiliated. First, he had to marry a man over twice his age. Second, he was forced to wear traditional clothing meant for Chinese _brides_.

Ran fastened her son's red robes around his waist, patting his head. "My only son, all grown up and getting married," she said, smiling weakly. "If only you had a choice in this." She looped a strand of jade beads around his neck and then stood up, handing Ren the red cloth veil that was traditionally used in Chinese weddings.

"Come out when you're ready to leave," she whispered. "I'm going to welcome the guests." With that, she exited the room, leaving Ren alone to contemplate it all.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror, mortified at how feminine he looked. He was very skinny; if it wasn't for his tongari, he could have easily passed anywhere as a girl.

A single tear dropped from his golden eyes onto his lap, followed by two more. He felt horrible. Even if it was against his will, he was betraying Horohoro.

He wiped the salty tears from his face on the back of his sleeve, sighing and placing the veil over his head. Like it was meant to, it covered his entire head like a red curtain.

Good. No one would have to see him crying.

He slowly got up, manuvering to the door and exiting. Ran and Jun watched sadly as he carefully climbed into the small carriage that was traditionally meant to transport the bride to the wedding.

He drew the curtains on the small carrige closed so no one could see him. He felt the carriage begin to move, the beginnings of the wedding procession.

In China, weddings are a big deal. There is a whole parade-type march to the area of the wedding, with curious passerbys lining the streets to watch.

He knew that Zan Ching, the groom, had to be riding a horse somewhere near the line's front. He bitterly wondered how strong of a horse they had to get to support his disgusting weight.

He could hear festive music being played by members of the march and lots of people chattering excitedly and cheering, throwing flowers excitedly to the "bride's" carraige.

Ren hated it. He was never too fond of troublesome commotions such as this one, and he hated the attention as well. It all made him want to throw up.

He thought about Horohoro again. He couldn't help but let a few more tears slip past his lashes. He didn't even have the freedom or right to choose whom he married, traded off by his father like a sack of flour. How he despised the old man.

He knew that Yoh was here, Jun had informed him of the occasion. Whether or not everyone else was here he didn't know.

He heard uproarious laughter and a familiar voice somewhere outside.

A smile drifted at the shaman's lips. So Chocolove was here to see him. He chuckled slightly. They'd probably laugh at him to see him practically in drag, but as long as he knew they cared enough to come, he felt somewhat reassured.

However, it wasn't enough to ease the sick feeling he had in his stomach.

The wedding ceremony couldn't be too bad, but afterwards, he'd have to spend the rest of the night with his _husband. _Together. And _alone_.

Ren shuddered, dreading the time when that would occur.

Soon, the carriage came to a stop. Trembling slightly with fear and anxiety, Ren carefully stepped out and onto the pavement.

Several "ooh's" and "ah's" were heard from the nearby watching crowd as he did so. Ren's cheeks flushed as scarlet as his robes under his veil. This was so humiliating.

He carefully made his way up a small pathway to the room he would wait in for the Zan Ching, hands shaking. He tried to conceal them in the sleeves of his robes, succeeding only somewhat.

Another tear fell, splashing silently onto the road.

Ren hated his life.


	3. The Wedding

Ren carefully stepped up the small set of steps into the building that served as the bridal chambers. He peered inside to watch the bridal bed ceremony with mild interest.

A common Chinese wedding custom; a new bed for the bride and groom to share had been placed inside the room. There were several people Ren didn't recognize, but knew were probably his relatives. There was a small crowd of children as well. Jun was inside, with a bag of lotus seeds, red dates, oranges, and peanuts. She scattered the items across the bed with a flick of the wrist.

In an instant, the children, shrieking in delight, scrambled onto the bed to gather the treats. They squirmed around under the covers and on the beadspread, sutffing their faces and lying down.

Ren quietly counted the mass of noisy kids. There were 25 of them. He swallowed nervously.

The more children on the bed, the better the omen for fertility was. Ren was disgusted. He wasn't even actually a girl, so why did he have to go through everything as if he was?

His mother, dressed in new clothes, hurried into the room, taking Ren's hand. "Hurry," she urged. "It's time to go."

Ren followed her to the courtyard of the property, flinching at the sound of firecrackers. They were meant to scare off evil spirits, but they were uncalled for because they were both obnoxious and useless.

He walked down the aisle, feet padding softly on the red rug. He could see crowds lining the sides to watch, all guests that he barely even knew. He did hear someone call his name, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. So Yoh _had _come.

Ren stepped over the traditional heap of rice and, to his disgust, found himself standing in front of Zan Ching. The crowd was silent as the large man's sausage-like fingers grasped the red veil and lifted it.

Ren flinched and flickered his gaze downwards, desiring not to look at the repulsive man. He looked to the side out of the corner of his eye, scanning the crowd. Horohoro was nowhere to be seen.

The crowd broke into a wave of cheers, and more firecrackers were set off.

"C'mon, kid," grunted Zan Ching as he grabbed Ren's arm and jerked him towards the family altar.

The Chinese boy slowly kneeled on the floor and bowed, touching his head to the ground. He paid his respects towards the mortuary tablets of the ancestors and the altar of the kitchen god.

This concluded the ceremony, they were both officially married.

Ren sighed. He hated the complex ceremonies and rituals that went into a traditional Chinese wedding.

They made their way back inside the bridal chamber, and both were seated on the bridal bed, which still had a single lotus seed on it. Zan Ching didn't seem to notice it as he sat down on it, crushing it. Ren winced, shuddering slightly.

As custom demanded, the two then linked arms and drank from small cups of wine. Ren hated wine, so he only pretended to sip the drink as Zan Ching slurped it up, the liquid dripping from his hideous mustache.

Afterwards was the wedding banquet. Ren had no wish to participate it and convinced his mother to let him stay in the bridal chambers. His new husband, however, was more than happy to eat as much as his giant stomach would allow.

Ren sighed, placing the veil on his lap and taking the gaudy ornaments out of his hair. He placed them on the bedside table and looked up on the wall. A red sheet of paper with the Chinese character for "double hapiness" referring to marriage painted in gold was hanging there. He stood up and ripped the sign off the wall, crumpling it and throwing it into a corner.

He looked at the clock. It was already quite late, and he assumed most of the guests had left. He wondered where Zan Ching was, but he didn't really care, since he didn't want to see him anyways.

The door suddenly burst open with a loud bang, making Ren jump a little. A drunken Zan Ching, who looked even fatter than normal, swaggered in, moving towards Ren.

Horrified, Ren leapt off the bed and backed away, only to find himself trapped against the wall.

"Heeelloooo...my dearest bride..." Zan Ching drawled, approaching the terrified boy. His breath stank of alchohol, and the scent made Ren's eyes water. His hands flew to his nose in a vain effort to block out the horrible smell. The larger man lumbered towards him, reaching out his arms.

"G...Get away from me!" Ren yelped, trying to dodge his grasp. "You fat drunkard...d-don't touch me!" Zan Ching slapped the boy hard, knocking him against the wall.

"Hey..." he grunted. "That's no way to speak to your husband. I 'oughta teach you to respect me and show some manners and affection."

Ren twisted away from the hands that were grabbing at him, bolting for the door. He flung it open and stumbled outside, Zan Ching's drunken shouts echoing in his ears.

He dashed around the corner of the building and into an alley, slumping helplessly against the wall and hugging his knees to his chest.

A thin stream of tears trailed down his cheeks, dripping silently into his lap. Why did this have to happen to him? How did he end up in this situation?

Ren tensed as he heard movement from nearby. He cautiously took a look, inhaling sharply when he saw a very familiar figure outlined in the darkness.

_Horohoro._

* * *

Author's Note: Ren's name means _lotus_ in Chinese. When Zan Ching sat on the lotus seed, crushing it, it's my way of signifying an omen of future nupital opression. 

It's extremely difficult to accurately depict a traditional Chinese wedding, as the ceremonies and events actually vary throughout the regions. I did my best based on the weddings of my grandparents, so don't flame me if some of it isn't traditionally correct.

It's also hard for me to describe the bridal attire, so if you want to see what Ren might have worn, including the ceremonial veil, then use a search engine to find images. (Try searching: Traditional Chinese Wedding)


	4. Runaway Bride

"Good evening, Ren," Horohoro said bitterly, addressing the boy he had loved for such a long time with a rather cold tone. "I see you're married now. Congratulations. I bet you'll be happier with that rich old man than you would ever be with me. Really, Ren, you're so shallow."

"No...Th-That's not it!" Ren protested. "You don't understand, Horohoro. I didn't want to marry him. My father forced me to. You know I love you and would never do anything like that if I had the choice."

The Ainu blinked. "Is that true? Are you telling me the truth, Ren?"

Ren nodded. "I am, Horohoro." Another tear splashed to the cold ground. "In fact...I'm out here because I wanted to get away from him. He...he got drunk, and I didn't really want to hang around..."

"It's okay," Horohoro sympathized. "It's not your fault." He approached the Chinese boy, squatting next to him and hugging him tightly.

"Please," Ren begged. "Please, Horohoro, help me escape from here. I can't live with that man, he's one of Hao's minions, and he's horrible. My father basically _sold_ me to him, it's all about money for him and his greedy delusions."

"Are you sure?" Horohoro asked skeptically. "Your father would kill you."

"I don't care," Ren insisted. "Please, please, please...I'd rather die than live with that man for the rest of my life."

Looking around, the blue-haired boy sighed. "Alright, Ren. We'll run away back to Japan where they won't find you...I'll take you back to my place."

"Really?" Ren asked. "Would you really do that with me?"

"I would."

Ren smiled faintly, in such a way that it went by unnoticed by Horohoro.

"Let's get going," Horohoro muttered, taking Ren's hand. "We'll get a taxi to the airport." Ren hurried off into the darkness after Horohoro, eager to get away and live a life he could call his own.

(The Next Morning)

"DAMMIT, WHERE IS THAT FILTHY WHORE!?" Zan Ching roared, sending a table crashing to the floor with a swing of his massive fist. He had just woken up and noticed that Ren had disappeared.

"I beg of you, sir, calm down," urged Ran, Ren's mother. "My son is sure to be hiding somewhere. I've sent my daughter, Jun, and a kyonshii search party to look for him."

At that moment, Jun burst into the room, her green bangs plastered to her forehead with persperation. "I couldn't find him," she panted. "But one of the kyonshii guards said he saw him run off to an unknown destination with a blue-haired boy around his age."

"What!?" Ran exclaimed, shocked. "Ren...Ren ran away? But why?"

Jun lowered her gaze sadly. "He probably didn't want to go with this whole marriage charade and left. Mother, you shouldn't have let this happen. It's not right."

"I know," she replied, anxiously wringing her hands. "But I didn't have a say in this. It's all as your father says must go."

"Bring me back that little bitch," Zan Ching hissed, pounding his fist and creating a deafening sound. "How dare he run away from his husband with another boy?"

"This is ridiculous." En Tao stormed into the room, face pale with fury. "That wicked boy...I knew no good would ever come from him. He's not suitable to be heir to the Tao..."

"Calm down, dear," Ran implored, hurrying to her husband's side. "You can't blame him...after all, we did force him into the situation."

By the end of the day, news had been splashed across headlines and all across China, telling of the "Runaway Tao Bride."

(At the Airport)

"Ren, the boarding time is in five minutes," Horohoro said briskly. Ren didn't have time to pack his things the previous night, so all he had were the clothes on his back.

Ren nodded, standing up and stretching, waiting for the announcement to board. It finally came, and the two gathered up Horohoro's suitcases and stepped aboard the craft.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Horohoro inquired, glancing at the Chinese boy as they took their seats on the plane.

He nodded slowly. "It's a dishonor to run away from marriage in China...but I could care less about what's honorable and what isn't. They're all hypocrites...it's also dishonorable to force your own child into these situations."

"Good." Horohoro squeezed Ren's hand lightly. "We're in this together, Ren, do you understand? If you get caught and punished, then so do I. You hear me?"

Ren sighed. It was dangerous for Horohoro to help him in this way. If they were caught, they would both be punished severely. Ren would be forced back with Zan Ching, and the Tao would surely sentence Horohoro to death.

"I don't know about that. Once we get to Japan, I'm going on my own way. It's too risky and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Oh, come on, Ren. I don't care about that." He grinned sheepishly. "I'll be happy if you are. Deal?"

Ren laughed. Horohoro was so optimistic and stubborn. That was why he loved him.

"Deal."


	5. Punishment

The plane had just touched down in Tokyo a few minutes ago. Horohoro and Ren had already gotten off and were now stretching near the baggage claim.

"Yoh's place isn't too far from here," Horohoro commented. "We can walk there and stay there for a little, then we'll catch another plane to Hokkaido, how does that sound?"

"That's fine," Ren approved as the two exited the airport and began their walk.

Horohoro sighed. "There's no doubt that all of China knows you're gone," he said, breaking the silence. "I'm just warning you, but getting away might be harder than you think."

"I know. That's why I wanted to go on my own way...so if we do get caught, then it'll only be me in trouble."

"That's rubbish. You know I'm not just going to leave you."

"I'll force you to."

The Ainu laughed. "You're so stubborn, Ren. But for the hundredth time, I'm sticking to you. Remember our deal? Don't tell me you already forgot." His eye suddenly picked up movement from the other side. Had someone already come to retrieve Ren? He couldn't let it happen.

"REN! WATCH OUT!"

Ren spun around, and before he could see anything, he felt Horohoro tackle him, forcing him to the ground.

"What the hell!?" Ren spluttered. "Horohoro, what are you-" The two staggered to their feet, and that was when Ren saw Zan Ching's oversoul embedded in the ground where he had been just seconds ago. Horohoro had saved him.

"Get behind me," Horohoro commanded.

"Horohoro, I-"

"Just do it!" he snapped back. He stepped in front of Ren, planting himself between the boy and Zan Ching, looking at his flabby stomach in disgust.

"Ah, so _you're_ Usui Horohoro," Zan Ching drawled, pointing a sausage-like finger at the Ainu. "You're the one my lovely little bride ran away with, eh?" He lowered his finger and grinned at Horohoro, mustache twitching unpleasantly.

"Just hand over the Tao, and I'll let you go free," he continued. "Or...I'll take you both by force."

"Don't be stupid," Horohoro shot back. "I'd never let Ren go back to someone...someone like you! You're fat and old! You don't deserve Ren!"

"Now, now, what's been done can't be undone. I'm his husband now, I have every right to take him back whenever I want."

"I won't let you."

"Is that so?" The obese man turned around and snapped his fingers. "Miss, why don't you teach the brat a lesson?"

Tao Jun stepped forward, a gang of kyonshii behind her, her hand holding an assortment of tags. "Come on, Ren," she said, holding out her hand. "I don't want to hurt your friend. Just come here and do what we say, and I promise I won't let anyone hurt him."

"Jun, you...how could you?"

"I'm sorry, Ren," she replied, genuine remorse lacing the edge of her voice. "It was an order from our father. I couldn't refuse or disobey him."

"That filthy old bastard..." Ren hissed, clenching his fists.

"So," Zan Ching continued. "Are you gonna hand him over, or what?"

"Never."

"Then we have no choice. I hope you'll forgive me, Ren." The tags flashed downwards, and the kyonshii became a series of gray blurs. Ren's eyes widened as he saw Horohoro go down in front of him.

Then, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his own head, then everything was dark.

Hours later, Ren blinked, opening his eyes. Where was he? He allowed himself time to focus on his surroundings. Crap. He was already back at the Tao castle.

His eyes flickered to the right. Horohoro was there, his hands tied. When he tried to move and found he couldn't, Ren realized that he was in a similar situation.

"Stupid kid. You shouldn't have run away in the first place. Now you're gonna get it." Ren looked up, eyes wide as Zan Ching's hideous form towered over him.

The man slapped him across the face, sending him sprawling to the floor. "You gotta respect your husband, or he won't respect you," he leered, grinning at Ren.

He reached down, grasping Ren's chin in his fat hand and tilting his face upwards towards him, forcing him to look at him in the eye. "Hmm..." he mused. "You're not so bad. You've got a pretty face." He chuckled. "It would be a shame to ruin that pretty face of yours, wouldn't it? Believe me, I will if I feel the need to."

He slapped Ren again, drawing from him a yelp of pain.

"Stop it!" Horohoro screamed from across the room. "Don't touch him!"

"Silence."

Ren painfully turned his head to see his father enter the room.

"You two have both dishonored the Tao family," he boomed. "It is my duty to ensure that you two do not bring such shame to us again. Ren, you will obediently live with your husband, as I expect of a Tao bride. And as for _you_." He jabbed his finger Horohoro. "You will be put to death, as you are of no concern to the Tao."

Horohoro looked down silently, and Ren's eyes widened.

"No!" Ren shouted. "Father, please, you can't do this to him. He hasn't done anything wrong...I beg of you, Father, please. Spare his life just this once, and let him go free...please, Father, I'll do anything-"

"Hold your tongue, Ren," En snapped. "That is no way to speak to your superiors. You must learn your place. Do you understand?"

"But, Father-"

"Ren. I told you to be quiet. The Tao will execute him in one week's time."


	6. Escape

A week later, Zan Ching and Ren returned to the Tao castle to visit. Ren usually hated the castle, as it reeked of death and the dying, but he was quite surprised to find himself longing to stay there, rather than go back to the miserable hole he now lived in with Zan Ching.

"So, my son, how is your life in your new home? I'm curious to hear," En addressed his son.

"It's not bad," Ren muttered while looking down at his shoes. He hated lying, but he knew if he didn't he would pay dearly. Life with Zan Ching, in short, sucked. From morning to night, he would be cleaning, working his butt off, and cooking while his fat gluttonous husbund would sit around and sleep and eat. At night, the old man would leave, and he'd come back late, usually drunk, and proceed to then treat Ren like his personal punching bag.

"That sounds exciting," Jun said, trying to smile and pretend she didn't notice the fresh bruises and cuts on her younger brother's arms and neck.

"Yeah. I guess it is," Ren replied, though his lack of enthusiasm didn't quite seem to go with his statement. He was dying to know the answer to just one question. "Er, Father? About Horohoro...is he...is he still here?"

"Yes. He is in the dungeons," En answered.

"May I see him? Just one more time before...you know, he dies?"

"That's a fair request," his father decided. "Yes, you may. I will allow you fifteen minutes. Be quick."

"Thank you." The Chinese boy rose to his feet, gave a quick bow, and was on his way walking quickly down the hallways. He descended several flights of stairs, walking past kyonshii and rotting corpses until he reached the dungeons.

A kyonshii guard was at the door, and it turned to look at Ren.

"Get ot of my way," he snapped, shoving past the corpse and stepping through the door. A horrible, sharp scent of rotting flesh instantly met his senses. He was used to it, since he had been locked down in these very dungeons himself on numerous occasions.

Ignoring the hideous stench, he strode briskly through the rows of cells, searching for any signs of a blue-haired Ainu.

It wasn't too long before he saw him, huddled in the corner of a grimy cell. His hair was messy and rumpled, and his face had numerous scratches decorating it. Other than that, he didn't seem to be in too bad of a condition.

"Horohoro?" Ren called to him hopefully.

The Ainu looked up. "Oh, it's you, Ren." A grin split his face. "Glad you came to see me one last time before your folks killed me." He laughed, causing Ren's heart to flutter the slightest. Even though he was sentenced to death by the Tao, he had still managed to maintain his sense of humor.

"Wait here," Ren instructed. "I...I'll get you out of here."

"Are you kidding me!?" Horohoro squeaked. "Your old man'll kill you!"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Ren answered, smiling slightly at Horohoro. He hurried off to the small row of drawers in which the keys to each cell were kept. His golden eyes quickly scanned the labels, until he found the number of the cell Horohoro was held in. He opened the drawer and removed the key, snapping it shut and hurrying back.

He knelt down on the cold damp dungeon floor and inserted the key into the lock, giving it a twist. With a click, the lock fell to the floor, and Ren was able to swing the door open.

He rushed to Horohoro, flinging his arms around him and resting his head on the Ainu's shoulder. Horohoro hugged him tightly in return, thanking him for helping him with the escape.

"There's not much time," Ren said quickly, breaking the embrace. "You've got to leave, now."

"But, Ren-"

"Come on, follow me." He walked as fast as he could down the dungeon and down another flight of stairs. He opened a trapdoor in the floor. "Go in here," he said quickly. "After you reach the end of the underground passage, there should be some steps. Walk up them, and you'll be about a mile away from Tao castle. Keep moving to the east, you'll come to a road within an hour. From there, it's a direct path north to the city. I think you'll have no trouble getting a plane back to Japan."

"Ren...I'm sorry. Can't you come with me?"

"I'm afraid not. They'd know it was me who sprang you out and they'd find us again. Please, Horohoro, please get out of here quickly."

Footsteps echoed from just a few feet outside the dungeon's entrance. "Ren?" called his father. "Ren, where are you?"

"Hurry," Ren urged, eyes darting frantically towards the direction of the sound.

"I love you, Ren." Horohoro placed a kiss on the Chinese boy's forehead, giving him a final hug before slipping through the trapdoor and into the darkness. "Don't you worry. I'll come back for you soon, and we'll leave China together."


	7. The Truth

Ren hurried back towards the entrance of the dungeon, thinking up an act as fast as his mind would allow.

"Ren? Are you in there?" En's voice echoed through the musty room.

"Y-Yes, Father. I'm right here." He swallowed hard, turning to his father, who entered, followed by Zan Ching and Jun. "F-Father," he stammered. "He...He's gone. I just...I just walked in here, and he was nowhere to be seen..."

En furrowed his brow. "That's odd...the kyonshii guards around here are worthless."

"I don't think that's the case, sir." Zan Ching smiled at Ren, who clenched his fists tightly. "Shut up, old man," he hissed.

Zan Ching scowled. "That's no way to talk to your husband. And it's not good to lie to your parents, either, huh? Now tell us where the blue-hedgehog-hair kid ran off to. And don't you try making up any stories."

_Please, please, please...Please don't let them find Horohoro..._Ren prayed silently. He opened his mouth to speak again. "It's true...I...I don't know where he is, I think he probably escaped days ago...I swear, honestly, I-"

"How dare you lie to your husband, you flithy little whore?" Zan Ching hissed. He swiftly gave Ren a hard backhand slap. Ren yelped in pain, and he toppled over and fell to the floor, skidding across the cold stone.

"How many times, my dear?" His large, fat hand reached down and grasped Ren by the hair, jerking him to his feet. The boy cried out in pain as he was thrown back to the floor. "How many times must I beat some obedience into you for it to get through your thick skull?"

He grabbed Ren's wrists, lifting him up and slamming him against the bloodstained walls, pinning and trapping him there. "Tell me the truth, my lovely little Ren, and I'll forgive you. Maybe we can even...skip the usual night treatment?"

Ren flinched, but refused to utter another word. Instead, as a response, he spat in Zan Ching's face.

"Why, you-!?" the man roared in outrage. He was about to swipe at Ren again, but Jun quickly placed a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down. "Forget it, sir," she implored. "It's obvious he doesn't know." She knew, deep in her heart, that it must have really been Ren who had set Horohoro free, but she didn't want him to get in trouble for it.

"Fine," Zan Ching snapped. "Be grateful to your sister, kid. But it doesn't matter whether or not you're telling the truth. I swear I'll hunt down that good-for-nothing brat, and I'll wring his neck right in front of those pretty eyes of yours. We can't have him coming back and negatively influencing you against us all, can we?"

"That's enough," En snapped. "We'll settle this upstairs. Come, Zan Ching." The two men left the dungeons, walking upstairs to duscuss the matter and leaving Jun alone with Ren, who was huddled in a small ball on the floor.

"Are you alright, Ren?" she asked, kneeling down next to her younger brother when she was sure their father and Zan Ching were out of earshot. "Did he hurt you too badly?"

"I'm fine."

Jun put her arms around Ren, wiping the silent tears from his face with the back of her hand. "It _was_ you wasn't it, Ren? You _did_ help him escape, didn't you?"

Ren didn't reply.

"It's alright. I swear I won't tell anyone."

Reluctantly, he nodded his head, signifying that her assumption was correct.

"And I have another thing to ask you," Jun continued, her voice becoming more concerned and serious. "I'm worried about you, _Lian_." Ren could tell she really was worried because she used his Chinese name to address him.

"What does that man do to you every day? I'm not stupid. Those bruises and cuts stick out like an elephant in the ocean."

Ren looked away. "Jun...I...I don't want to talk about it."

"Please, _Lian_. I won't be able to help you if you don't tell me."

Ren sighed and bowed his head in shame. "Every day, Jun...I work for him, I clean for him, I cook for him. And he goes out every night and comes back drunk...then he'll hit me. He hits me so hard, Jun...it hurts so bad...but that's nothing compared to what else he does at night."

"Go on. Tell me all about it."

"Every night," he continued quietly. "He rapes me every night, Jun. He's started calling it the 'night treatment,' and it's probably what sucks most about living with him."

"Oh, my god..._Lian_...I...I'm so sorry."


	8. Coming Out of Hiding

On a normal weekday night, Zan Ching was out of the house, as usual, which left Ren at home to do nothing much but sit around and stare at the wall. There wasn't much else to do anyways except for the laundry, which he hated.

He didn't mind washing his own clothes, because he did it everyday before anyhow, but Zan Ching's clothes were a hassle. They were, in short, big. And Zan Ching was a very messy eater. Meaning it was plainly troublesome.

Sighing, he tossed all the dirty clothes into the hamper and lugged it into the laundry room, where there was a small washtub. Zan Ching had the money, but Ren assumed he was too lazy to buy or use a washing machine. In fact, before Ren had begun to live with him, he doubted his clothes had ever been washed at all.

He filled the tub with hot water and began the unpleasant job of scrubbing each item with soap and water, trying to rid them of their nasty stains. It made his back, neck, and most of all, arms extremely sore, but he had to get it done or he'd face the consequences.

At last, he managed to finish one article, which he hung on the clothesline. Ren then knelt down to begin another, but when he was about to put soap on it, he heard a strange tapping noise on the window in the kitchen.

"Who's there?" he called cautiously, peering into the kitchen.

"It's just me."

Ren's eyes widened as he saw Horohoro waving at him through the window, grinning like an idiot. He rushed over and immediately opened the latch on the window and pulled it open.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as the Ainu hopped cheerfully in. "Zan Ching'll be back any second, if he finds out you're here, he'll-"

"Shh." Horohoro placed a finger to Ren's lips. "It's okay. I don't care about that lump of fat. I'm here to take you away from here." He grinned at Ren and rumpled his deeply colored hair affectionately.

There was a crash from somewhere outside as the front gate was slammed shut. Ren's eyes widened with panic. "Quick," he whispered, grabbing Horohoro's hand and running to the living room. "Hide here. Don't make a sound." He directed Horohoro into the closet, closing the door almost all the way, leaving it a tiny crack open.

"Ren, what's going on?"

"Shhh!" Ren urged, his eyes darting back and forth in sheer terror. "Please, just stay here and don't move. I've gotta go." He dashed off to the laundry room, trying to continue and pretend as if he had been doing such the whole time.

The door was thrown open with a deafening crash. Through the small opening, Horohoro could see Zan Ching stumble in, stomach wobbling, most obviously drunk. He slammed the door back shut and took a few steps inwards.

"Hey, you! Pointy-headed whore! Are you done with the laundry?" he shouted, lumbering into the laundry room where Ren was. A wide-eyed Horohoro watched quietly as Ren fearfully shook his head.

"No...I haven't, I'm sorry..." he muttered, looking down. "I...I was distracted..."

"Stupid bitch! You're worthless!"

Horohoro winced as Zan Ching kicked Ren hard, knocking him flat on his back.

"And what's distracting you, my dear? Thinking about your blue-haired boyfriend, perhaps?" He grabbed Ren by the collar, jerking him roughly to his feet. "Get upstairs. Right now," he hissed in his face. Ren flinched, turning his head away to avoid having to smell the alchohol lacing his foul breath.

"Did you hear me? Are you daft, boy? Go!" He threw Ren viciously to the floor. Terrified, the boy rose to his feet and instantly scrambled up the stairs, followed closely by Zan Ching's crashing footsteps.

The man shoved Ren into his bedroom and slammed the door, disallowing Horohoro to watch any further. He listened closely, shocked by the awful commotion.

He could hear Zan Ching's drunken shouts and Ren's desperate pleas for him to forgive him just this once. A loud slap which rang throughout the hallways told Horohoro his answer was most definetely a "No."

After that came the sounds of Ren struggling and Zan Ching laughing, then there was a silence, save Ren's muffled sobs. Horohoro's eyes widened as a pained scream suddenly split the silence, followed by a series of more. There were strange noises coming from upstairs, and Horohoro didn't even have to guess to know what was going on.

He clenched his fists, digging his fingernails into his palms. How could Ren expect him to just sit there and wait?

The bedroom door was suddenly flung open again, and Zan Ching was dragging Ren with him. Blood trickled from his lip, and his clothes were rumpled and torn. "Had enough, bitch?" the fat man laughed, grinning at Ren. Without warning, he suddenly threw Ren down the stairs.

Horrified, Horohoro watched as Ren seemed to fall in slow motion. With a sickening crack, his head struck the third step, and his eyes fluttered shut. The impact had knocked him unconcious, any idiot could have seen that. His limp body tumbled helplessly down the stairs, threatening to crash to the floor below.

He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't just sit there and watch Zan Ching's abuse upon the boy he loved. Without even thinking, Horohoro burst out of the closet, outstretching his arms and catching Ren right before he hit the last step.


	9. Rescue

Horohoro held Ren's limp form in his arms, holding him tightly and glaring at the boy's attacker, displaying to him a very rude finger sign indeed.

"You bastard!" he screamed, enraged. "How could you do something like this!? Huh!? Why don't you do your own laundry if you care so much!? You fat bastard...if you touch Ren ever again, I swear I'll personally kill you!"

"Ah...it's you again." Zan Ching grinned, walking down the stairs towards Horohoro. "Don't make me laugh, kid. The boy's _mine_."

The Ainu defensively tightened his hold on the unconcious Ren, refusing to back down. "_Yours?_ Don't you dare talk about Ren as if he belongs to you!"

"Oh, but he does. After all, I'm his husband..."

"That doesn't mean anything! If you're his husband, you should be taking care of him!"

"...And since I'm his husband," Zan Ching continued, ignoring Horohoro, "...I can do whatever I please with him. He's nothing more than my little bitch." He approached Horohoro, a malicious glint in his eyes. "It's also my responsibility to make sure that anyone who interferes with our wonderful marriage dies a slow and painful death."

"Don't get any closer," he hissed, backing away slowly. "Don't you dare..."

"What if I do dare?"

Horohoro yelped as Zan Ching was upon him in an instant, knocking him down. He felt Ren being torn from his grasp and thrown carelessly to the side like an unwanted object.

"Now that he's out of the way...I can kill you."

His large fingers encircled Horohoro's throat, squeezing tightly. He was trapped, pinned under his gigantic gut, being crushed and strangled to death. "G-Get off me! Damn you, you fat bastard! Get off!" Horohoro struggled, trying to free himself, with no avail.

Zan Ching squeezed tighter still.

Horohoro choked, his eyes were wide, he couldn't breathe. His heart was pounding, his head was feeling horribly light. Out of the corner of his eye, to his amazement, he could see Ren regaining conciousness.

The Chinese boy's eyes grew wide as he saw Horohoro trying to fight off his attacker. He ran towards the scuffle, a desperate look in his eyes. "Stop it! Please! Don't hurt him, please...Stop it! Stop it!" he screamed, trying frantically to pull Zan Ching away.

"Don't interrupt, you ungrateful brat!" Zan Ching struck Ren, sending him sprawling. "So you haven't had enough, eh? I'll show you..."

To his relief, Horohoro felt the grip on his throat release him. He coughed, gasping for air. The moment of relief did not last long, however, as he felt his hands being jerked behind his back and tied tightly, disallowing him to move.

Zan Ching walked away from him and towards Ren's prone form on the floor, a throaty growl rising from within him. "I'll take care of you first..." he hissed. "I'll make your little Ainu lover watch...and the it'll be _your _turn to watch as I kill him."

"No...please..." Ren's eyes were wide as Zan Ching advanced towards him. Horohoro wriggled his arms furiously. "Don't touch him!" he screamed, but he was ignored.

Zan Ching grabbed Ren's wrists and pinned him to the floor. Ren struggled desperately, thrashing and kicking. "Stop moving!" Zan Ching growled. He took both of Ren's wrists in his left hand, slamming them above his head onto the ground. Ren cried out in pain, and the fat man's free hand traveled downwards and began jerking at Ren's clothing.

"STOP IT!" Horohoro screamed. "LET HIM GO!" he entirely lost his temper as he stumbled to his feet and charged towards them. He couldn't use his hands, but he always had his head. He lunged forward, sinking his teeth into Zan Ching's hand. Zan Ching roared, and Horohoro then swung his head sideways, slamming it into the man's skull.

His head was throbbing with pain from the impact, but he was pleased as Zan Ching toppled forwards, unconcious. The Ainu turned his hands towards Ren, quickly asking him to untie them.

Ren fumbled with the rope, finally letting the cords fall to the floor. As soon as he was free, Horohoro grabbed Ren, lifted him up, and ran out the door, holding him tightly.


	10. Help From Hao?

Horohoro kept running until he thought his legs were going to fall off. He kept running and running, his heart pounding painfully and his breath becoming ragged and uneven. Finally, when he thought he couldn't run anymore, he placed Ren on the ground and collapsed to the floor, panting heavily in an attempt to catch his breath.

"Horohoro? Are you alright?" Ren sat down next to him, looking at him with a concerned expression.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "More importantly, are _you_ alright, Ren?"

"My head's spinning a bit...but I'm fine."

"Come on, Ren," Horohoro said, taking the Chinese boy's hand. "I booked us a plane trip to Japan two days ago, our flight is tonight. We'd better hurry or we'll miss it. From there, we'll stay at Yoh's, and then we're going to pay a visit to Hao and tell him to occupy Zan Ching with an assignment or something."

"Hao? But isn't he?"

"Yeah, I know, but he's changed. Hao's not bad these days, you know how Yoh's got a knack for turning shady people into friends, huh?" He laughed, nudging Ren. "Just like what happened to you a really long time ago."

And so, two days later, they found themselves at Yoh's Tokyo apartment.

"Hey, Horo!" Yoh grinned cheerfully. "Come on in." The Ainu nodded cheerfully, removing his shoes and stepping into the apartment. He was followed by Ren. Yoh blinked, and his grin widened. "Hi, Ren! Long time no see, huh?"

"I guess so...and you're still the same grinning idiot," Ren laughed. He was only half-joking.

They plopped down on the couch. "You guys must be tired from all that traveling," Yoh commented as he walked into the kitchen, returning with a can of soda for each of them. He glanced at Ren. "Horohoro told me all about what happened with you and that fat old guy," he continued. "I'm sure Hao would do something to help."

"Then we've got to talk to him right away," Horohoro insisted. "Before Zan Ching tracks us down and hurts Ren again. I'm not going to let that happen. So, where's your brother right now?"

"Oh," Yoh laughed. "I think he's with his gang or something...They usually hang out in that weird old alley behind the bar...I dunno why...but if you're gonna go there, be careful. I don't like the people who hang around there, they're not exactly the friendliest types. But they don't bother Hao, so you'll probably be fine."

"Great. Let's go, Ren."

The two headed down the street, walking quickly, trying not to draw attention.

They finally arrived at the bar Yoh had been talking about. Horohoro knew it had to be the right one, because Hao's name had been grafiitied onto the side. Horohoro turned to look at the people around him. Mostly old drunkards and perverts.

He reached down and grabbed Ren's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Don't let go of my hand, and don't make any eye contact with anyone, you hear me?"

"Yeah." Ren nodded, a little scared. Although he was sure Horohoro would protect him, there was still fear gripping to the edge of his heart.

They slowly began walking down the long, dark alley, manuvering through and past groups of drunkards. Horohoro glared straight ahead, while Ren kept his eyes downcast, following Horohoro. Presently, they could hear a familiar voice coming from around the corner - Hao's voice.

"Ah, long time no see, Zan Ching," they heard Hao say.

Ren's eyes widened and his heart stopped momentarily. So Zan Ching was already here. There was no way they could seek Hao's assistance now. Not daring to speak in fear of being heard, Ren glanced nervously towards Horohoro. The Ainu's eyes were narrowed, there was no doubt that he knew as well.

"Shhh," Horohoro whispered, pulling Ren with him against the wall as to not be seen. "Don't make a sound." They listened closely to the conversation, their hearts pounding painfully. Ren would not be surprised if his heartbeat gave their position away.

"You're a married man now, Zan Ching, I'll give you my congratulations for that," Hao grinned

"You? Married? That's ridiculous? Who'd want to marry an old lard like you?" snorted a female voice. Kanna, from the Hanagumi.

"So," Hao continued, ignoring Kanna, "Who's the lucky bride? Wait...you told me, your _bride_ is a boy, right?"

"Yup."

Ren shuddered at the sound of Zan Ching's voice.

"Who is it? C'mon, tell us."

Zan Ching was obviously enjoying the attention he was recieving from his leader and his teammates. "His name's Tao Ren...he's a pretty kid, I'd say...stubborn, but I've beaten him into submission by now."

"Ah...Tao Ren. Not bad, Zan Ching. Not bad at all."

The fat man laughed loudly, continuing, "He's just like a cute little housewife. He does all the chores. Decent cook...but ah, he's always thinking about someone else...I'm afraid to say the little bitch has no feeling for me, he's rather disloyal. This is his second try running away from me with the same boy."

"I can see why. If it was me, I would have run away too, fatass," scoffed Kanna.

Zan Ching ignored her. "But it's okay, Hao-sama. I don't need your help finding him. You see...he's right over there, trying to hide."


	11. Pain and Humiliation

Ren cursed under his breath, and Horohoro instantly tensed. He moved himself in front of Ren in an effort to protect him from what was surely to follow. His prediction on the next events were correct, as Zan Ching, Hao, and Hao's other cronies moved towards their general direction.

"Interesting," Hao commented as he appeared in front of them, wearing an ambiguous smirk on his face. "So, is this the boy your little Ren has constantly been running away with, Zan Ching?" Horohoro's eyes narrowed, but he held his ground.

"Yep, that's the kid, Hao-sama."

Hao laughed. "I never expected it to be Usui Horokeu, of all people. Selfish little brat I remember him to be..."

"Shut up!" Ren snapped. "Don't make judgements on Horohoro, you don't know anything about him!"

"Ah, dearest Ren," Zan Ching grinned, stepping forward. "How long are you going to cower behind your little Ainu lover? Come out from there right now, unless you'd prefer me to drag you out myself." Ren's eyes widened, and he seemed to shrink further behind Horohoro.

"Oh, come on, you little whore," Zan Ching growled. "I'm sick of this. I swear once I get you back I'll have to buy you a collar and a leash or something..." He reached his massive porky hand out towards Ren, only to find Horohoro sinking his teeth into his finger.

Horohoro spat on the ground in disgust. "Do you ever wash your hands, old man?" he demanded. "Like hell I'll let you touch Ren with those dirty hands of yours. Get back or I'll kill you right now."

"You filthy brat," Zan Ching hissed, withdrawing his hand. "You can't do anything to me." With a sudden motion, he lunged forward and siezed Horohoro by the throat. Ren's eyes grew wide as Zan Ching threw him to the floor. The boy skidded across the floor before slamming into opposite building's wall. "You're pathetic," Zan Ching added.

Ren ran to Horohoro's side, screaming his name. He knelt next to him, shaking him and begging him to get up. Blood trickled from a corner of Horohoro's mouth, dripping slowly to the dirty alley's ground. Gritting his teeth, he tried to climb to his knees.

The Chinese boy yelped as Zan Ching's hands descended upon him, dragging him away and pinning him in a chokehold. "No!" he screamed, struggling desperately. "Let me go! Let me go, you fat bastard! Please! Let me go!"

Ignoring Ren's pleas, Zan Ching pinned the boy to the ground, then proceeding to violently rape him, stifling his screams by clamping his hand over his mouth.

"STOP IT!" Horohoro screamed. Furious, he stumbled to his feet, about to attack Zan Ching. However, before he could move any further, he felt Hao's hands snake around him, restraining him. "Now, Horokeu, be reasonable," he insisted. "Calm down, and I'll try to help, okay? We don't want to start any fights, do we?"

"Help my ass!" the Ainu spat. "Get your hands off me!"

Hao's grip did not loosen, but he turned to Zan Ching. "That's enough, Zan Ching," he commanded. "Leave the boy alone."

Grudgingly, Zan Ching stopped his disgusting actions, rising to his feet and kicking Ren hard in the stomach. The boy was huddled on the floor, trembling, with tears of pain and humiliation streaming down his cheeks. Horohoro winced, seeing blood Ren's blood staining the ground.

"I propose a deal," Zan Ching announced, grinning. He turned to Ren. "Come home nice and quiet with me, and no more of these run-away charades. Be obedient from now on, and, in exchange, I won't touch your precious Horohoro again. Do we have a deal?"

"What kind of a deal is that!?" Horohoro yelled. "Ren doesn't get anything out of it at all!"

"It...It's a deal..." Ren managed to stammer. "I'll do everything you ask...just please...Please leave Horohoro alone for the rest of your life..."

Zan Ching's toothy grin widened, mustache twitching in approval. "That's a good boy, Ren. Now get your sorry little Chinese ass of the floor and get over here."

"Ren, are you crazy!?" Horohoro screamed. "How can you accept a 'deal' like that? It only means more pain for you-"

"I know," Ren said quietly, cutting him off as he crawled to his feet. "...But, there will be less pain for you, physically, and me, emotionally, if he doesn't hurt you anymore...so either way, we'll both benefit at least a little."

"No...Ren..."

"Smart kid," Zan Ching grunted. "Now, let's get a move on it. I'm hungry."

Horohoro watched, his heart sinking, as Zan Ching dragged Ren away, disappearing around the corner of the alley and from his sight.

"I swear on my life that I'll kill that fat son of a bitch and save you, Ren."


	12. Desperate Moments

Author's Note: I apologize _profusely_ on my lack of update in the past weeks or two. I'll make this chapter longer to make up. Unfortunately, I must temporarily put off the conclusion of _Old Habits Die Hard_, due to the fact that I can't quite seem to think of an effective way to end it. Don't worry, when the inspiration comes, I'll update. For nows, _Dead Lotus_ is what you can be looking at for more frequent updates.

* * *

"You little whore." 

Ren yelped as Zan Ching landed a solid slap to his face, causing him to lose balance and crumple to the floor in a trembling heap. He looked up at the man towering over him with wide eyes, fully aware that he was undeniably trapped.

"Who do you think you are, trying to run away a second time with the same Ainu brat, huh?" Zan Ching reached down, grabbing Ren by the hair and jerking him to his feet, drawing a cry of pain from the boy.

Terrified, Ren's fingers brushed the hilt of the Houraiken, hidden in his clothing. He drew the sword, slashing Zan Ching across the face with a sudden movement.

Zan Ching roared in pain as blood spurted from the wound. Mad with fury and pain, he swiped at Ren, siezing the wrist of the hand that clutched the sword. The man twisted the wrist, and with a yelp, Ren was forced to release the weapon. It clattered uselessly to the floor.

"Don't you dare forget this, boy," Zan Ching hissed in Ren's ear, his foul breath blasting into his face. "Running away is useless...Everything you own belongs to me now: that stupid sword your daddy gave you, your money, your clothes, and yourself_...you'll be my little bitch forever."_

* * *

Right in the most desperate times, something always seems to happen, which prevents anyone from achieving what they hope to. In this case, such a desperate situation would be Horohoro's determination to rescue Ren for good from the predicament he was stuck back into. The thing that happened which blocked all paths of solution off was a war. Yes, both countries, China and Japan, were yet again at war. 

All Japanese citizens, and all Chinese citizens were forbidden any contact or communication together. They became enemies, spilling blood over their once pure lands.

A year passed.

Horohoro barely had memory of Ren, and Ren barely had any memory of Horohoro.

Horohoro, as a shaman of Japan, had the pressing duty to fulfill, he felt that he had to fight. So he packed his things, taking with him his ikupasuy, and bid Pirika and the rest of his family farewell, knowing that he might die and never see any of them again.

He enlisted in the Japanese army. He eventually became a young captain, on account of his shamanic ability.

Another year passed.

Finally, one cold winter day, Horohoro and his troops set foot on Chinese shores. There mission was simple. Ravage the countryside, take their plunder, and destroy anything or anyone who got in their way.

Horohoro's instructions to his men were equally simple.

"Whatever you want and can grab is yours. Leave no survivors."

And their destructive assignment began.

Horohoro took his men on a bloody path through China. They destroyed and burned everything, they heartlessly killed everyone they saw, men, women, and children alike. China's best armies were completely annihalated as they swept through the country, finally arriving in the Guzhou province.

"That, you guys..." Horohoro announced, pointing cheerfully at a large castle building. "...Is all yours for the taking."

He didn't know he was already in Guzhou. He didn't know Guzhou was where Ren lived. And he didn't know he was about to take from the boy everything he had: his family, his home, his posessions.

* * *

"Ren!" Jun's frantic voice cut through the chaos. Zan Ching and Ren had returned to Tao castle to visit for the weekend like they always did. And they could not have come at a worse time. "Ren! Hurry! You have to get out of here!" 

Cursing, Ren was stumbling through the halls, searching for his houraiken. He fully intended to fight the Japanese that were encroaching upon the Tao's property, and not run away or hide like a coward would.

Muttering to himself, he cursed his husband many times over. He had taken his sword long ago, claiming that he had no right to owning property anymore ever since he was forced to marry the despicable man.

_"Don't you dare forget this, boy. Running away is useless...Everything you own belongs to me now: that stupid sword your daddy gave you, your money, your clothes, and yourself...you'll be my little bitch forever."_

He shuddered. Maybe someone would come over and shoot the old man. That would be the only thing he would be thankful for in the whole war.

"Jun, where's the Houraiken?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Jun answered, eyes wide with panic. "Don't fight, Ren, pelase. You'll be killed."

"I don't care-"

"No, Ren! I won't let you!"

There was a loud crash as the Tao castle's front door was broken open by soldiers. Shouts filled the air as they progressed, stealing things of value and ascending the stairs. Smoke billowed throughout the property as they set fire to everything.

"Quick! Hide in here, Ren!" Jun siezed her little brother by the wrist, hastily shoving him into a closet, slamming the door and locking it from the inside and outside before he could protest. Ren banged on the door, cursing loudly, but it was no use. Sighing, he resigned himself to plop down on the ground and huddle in the closet's corner.

Right outside, he could hear shouts and crashes, he knew that the Japanese soldiers had to be just outside. He heard Jun screaming, and then silence. Desperately, he rattled the doorknob, although he knew it was too late and Jun was probably already dead. Grief washed over him, an a flood of tears rushed from his wide golden eyes. Sobbing quietly, he dropped back to the floor, hugging his knees to his chest.

Horohoro was having fun. He never knew breaking stuff could be so enjoyable. And he never thought that killing a man would ever be his idea of fun. Oh, but he did think it was fun, especially if it was a fat man named Zan Ching.

The man looked vaguely familiar as Horohoro approached him, but he couldn't put it where.

"You!" the fat man blubbered, jabbing his porky finger at the Ainu. "You're that boy! That boy who my Ren ran away with two years ago!" In a fearful panic, he swung wildly at the young captain with his fists.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Horohoro replied icily. He raised his ikupasuy, and Zan Ching fell dead in seconds. Horohoro kept walking, as if nothing was happening, treading deliberately over the man's corpse.

Meanwhile, a floor above him, two soldiers turned to a closet nearby.

"You don't suppose there's anything valuable inside, do you?" one asked.

"I don't know. The only way to find out is to look, isn't it?" his comrade replied.

They turned the knob, only to find it was locked.

Inside, Ren's eyes widened in panic as he heard the doorknob being rattled violently. And then, there was a crash as the door was smashed down.

Terrified, Ren backed up against the wall, looking up wide-eyed at the two soldiers standing in front of him. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest as they noticed him, and grins split their bloodstained faces.

"Well, well...whaddya know? We find a boy inside."

"Let's kill him."

Ren was defenselsss, he had no weapon, no form of engaging an oversoul. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready to die.

"Wait. I have a better idea."

"Eh?"

"He's a cute kid...don't you think we could give him to our captain...as a present?"

"Gee, that's not a bad preposition...maybe he'll even promote us!"

Giggling insanely at ther shallow dim-witted plot, the two men reached down and grabbed Ren. The Chinese boy struggled wildly, pleading with them to let him go. They gave him no such quarter, and in exchange, slapped him swiftly across the face. His hands were tied behind his back, a blindfold was fastened over his eyes, and a strip of duct tape was pulled over his mouth. The last thing he heard was their laughter before he lost conciousness.


	13. Names

Author's Note: I intend on ending this story with fifteen chapters, just so you all know that the end is near. And I apologize for the utterly dreaful quality of the last chapter, I was not too pleased with it myself, either.

* * *

"Good job, everyone," Horohoro beamed. "I hope all of you picked up some pricey crap?" He, himself, hadn't taken anything, he had a slight sense of guilt. But there had been something he had found with the man he had killed that he couldn't resist pocketing, a strange and intricately decorated sword. There was something comfortingly familiar about it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on how or why. 

And, a few moments later, he found two of his men marching cheerfully towards him, carrying what seemed to be a boy. They threw the limp form at the Ainu's feet, looking pleased with themselves.

Horohoro raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you to kill everyone? Huh? Didn't I?"

"A-Apologies, sir," they stammered. "We only thought..."

"That's enough," Horohoro interrupted, cutting them off. He knelt down next to the unconcious boy, brushing his dark bangs out of his face. The boy opened his eyes, moaning groggily, seeming to be unsure of what to make of the situation he was now in.

Horohoro's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I'd want anything to have to do with this kid?" he scoffed, standing back up.

"But, sir-"

Horohoro ignored his men, having only two more words to say about the situation. He spat on the floor and turned away, making no effort whatsoever to hide his contempt.

"Kill him."

When most people hear that their inescapable fate is death, and that death will come to them within seconds, they will usually mentally break down, crying and sobbing and begging for the mercy of their captors.

However, as Horohoro noticed, this boy was different from most people. As he was dragged to his feet by the soldiers, he said nothing and did nothing to protest, simply staring coldly at Horohoro's turned back with his golden eyes.

"You've already destroyed my home, stolen my possesions, and slaughtered my family," he stated, "But, if you are to kill me like you've killed them, as well, then at least let me thank you for also killing Zan Ching, that fat bastard."

As his men prepared to murder the defenseless boy, Horohoro suddenly raised his hand, gesturing for them to stop. He turned back around, stepping forward to get a better look at the boy.

He outstretched his hand, tilting the Chinese boy's chin upward with his finger to fully observe the face.

"You've got guts, kid," he commented, a faint, amused smile on his lips. "You're an interesting one...what's your name?"

"Tao Ren."

Horohoro's heart skipped a beat. He swallowed, knowing very well that during the past long year, he had always remembered the name, but never the face.

"You know my name, too, don't you? Tell me."

The boy, Ren, looked downwards, eyes flickering to the floor, seemingly in an attempt to hide the pain that could be read in them.

"Usui Horokeu," he replied in a soft voice. "You're name's Usui Horokeu...isn't it?"

Not many people knew Horohoro's real name; Horokeu. It had been a secret he had reserved for only his family and closest friends, Ren included. There was no doubt that he had finally found the boy he had been looking for.

A wide grin split his face. "Tao Ren...I've finally found you."

Ren looked up, obviously surprised that the young captain remembered him. His eyes widened in pleasant shock as Horohoro instantly flung his arms around him, laughing, with tears streaming down his face.

"You idiot," Ren commented in a muffled voice. "You're strangling me."

"Sorry, sorry," Horohoro laughed, removing his death grip. "Sorry, Ren. It's just that I've missed you so much..." his eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered something.

"Here," he said, taking the sword he had found. "This is the Houraiken, right? I think it's yours." He placed it in Ren's hand, wrapping the boy's fingers around the handle.

"Stay with me, Ren," he begged. "I won't force you to fight...I don't want you to have to kill your own people. If you stay here, you'll probably be killed by other units, stay with me, I swear I'll protect you."

"Horohoro..."

"Please?"

A small smile appeared at Ren's lips. "Alright."


End file.
